Trailer with rear impact guard

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272859-B2
Application number	US-201715712668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2017
Priority date	Aug 18, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A trailer frame includes a rear bolster, cross-members, and corner gussets extending forwardly from ends of the rear bolster. A rear impact guard includes a bumper positioned at the rear end of the trailer and spaced below the rear bolster, pair of outboard posts, and at least one inboard post. The outboard posts extend between the bumper and the rear bolster adjacent respective opposed distal ends of the bumper, and the inboard post extends between the bumper and the rear bolster between the outboard posts. Each of the pair of outboard posts has a lower end that overlaps with a respective mounting bracket that protrudes upwardly toward the rear bolster from the bumper such that mounting holes of the outboard posts align with mounting holes of the mounting brackets. A laterally-outboard panel of each mounting bracket extends obliquely from the bumper in a direction with a laterally-outward component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rear impact guard for attachment to a rear frame portion of a trailer, the rear impact guard comprising:
a bumper extending along an axis defining a first direction to be oriented transversely to span laterally at a distance below the rear frame portion;
a pair of outboard posts extending from respective opposed distal ends of the bumper in a second direction so that the bumper can be spaced below the rear frame portion by the pair of outboard posts; and
at least one inboard post extending from the bumper at a location between the pair of outboard posts,
wherein each of the pair of outboard posts has a lower end that overlaps with a respective mounting bracket that protrudes upwardly from the bumper such that mounting holes of the outboard posts align with mounting holes of the mounting brackets, and
wherein each mounting bracket has a laterally-outboard panel that extends obliquely from the bumper in a direction with a laterally-outward component.

2. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein each of the mounting brackets is welded to the bumper.

3. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein each mounting bracket includes a forward panel, a rearward panel, and a laterally-outward panel connecting the forward and rearward panels, and each mounting bracket is open in a laterally-inward direction.

4. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein each mounting bracket includes a forward panel, a rearward panel, and a laterally-outward panel connecting the forward and rearward panels, and wherein each of the forward, rearward, and laterally-outward panels includes at least one mounting hole.

5. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein the bumper has a hollow rectangular construction in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis.

6. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein each of the mounting brackets wraps around both a front side and a top side of the bumper.

7. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of outboard posts includes a plurality of panels all having first ends extending from the mounting bracket on the bumper, and wherein a top gusset extends parallel to the axis between the plurality of panels at opposite second ends thereof to provide an upper surface for abutment with the rear frame portion.

8. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein an upper portion of each of the outboard posts includes apertures for establishing non-permanent, removable connections to the rear frame portion.

9. The rear impact guard of claim 8 , wherein the apertures of the upper portions of each of the outboard posts include at least one aperture oriented to receive a fastener along a first perpendicular direction with respect to the axis defined by the bumper, and at least one aperture oriented to receive a fastener along a second perpendicular direction with respect to the axis defined by the bumper.

10. The rear impact guard of claim 8 , wherein the apertures of the upper portions of each of the outboard posts include two apertures oriented to receive respective fasteners parallel to a first perpendicular direction with respect to the axis defined by the bumper, and two apertures oriented to receive respective fasteners parallel to a second perpendicular direction with respect to the axis defined by the bumper.

11. A trailer comprising:
a front end provided for attachment to a truck;
a rear end spaced in a longitudinal direction from the front end to define a cargo area between the front and rear ends:
a frame including
a pair of laterally spaced vertical corner posts at the rear end,
a rear bolster extending transversely to the longitudinal direction below a bottom rear edge of the cargo area, between the pair of vertical corner posts, and
a pair of corner gussets extending forwardly from respective bottom portions of the pair of vertical corner posts; and

a rear impact guard including
a bumper positioned at the rear end of the trailer and spaced below the rear bolster,
a pair of outboard posts, each having a lower end secured to a distal end of the bumper and an upper end secured to a laterally outboard portion of the frame, and
at least one inboard post extending between the bumper and the rear bolster at a location between the pair of outboard posts,

wherein each of the pair of outboard posts includes a plurality of panels extending between the upper and lower ends, and a top gusset extending between and interconnecting the plurality of panels, the top gusset defining a top surface supporting a bottom of each of: the rear bolster, the respective one of the pair of vertical corner posts, and the respective one of the pair of corner gussets.

12. The trailer of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of panels of each of the pair of outboard posts include three panels interconnected by the top gusset.

13. The trailer of claim 11 , wherein each of the pair of outboard posts is secured to the frame of the trailer solely with non-permanent, removable connections.

14. The trailer of claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of panels of each of the pair of outboard posts is a rear panel provided with at least one aperture oriented to receive a fastener parallel to the longitudinal direction for securing to the rear bolster, and wherein the top gusset of each of the pair of outboard posts is provided with at least one aperture oriented to receive a fastener in a vertical direction parallel to the pair of vertical corner posts for securing to the respective one of the pair of corner gussets.

15. The trailer of claim 11 , wherein the pair of corner gussets are fortified with respective lateral reinforcement members, each of which is secured to an interior side of a corresponding one of the pair of corner gussets and each of which extends laterally-inboard from the corresponding corner gusset.

16. The trailer of claim 15 , wherein the top gusset of each of the pair of outboard posts extends to span underneath a position at which the respective lateral reinforcement member is joined with the respective corner gusset.

17. The trailer of claim 15 , wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has a leg extending laterally inward from the respective corner gusset to an inwardly-spaced connection point at which the lateral reinforcement member is secured to the rear bolster, and wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has an additional leg elongated to extend along an inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset.

18. The trailer of claim 15 , wherein the lateral reinforcement members are secured, respectively, to inward-facing surfaces of the pair of corner gussets by welding.

19. The trailer of claim 18 , wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has an edge abutting and extending along the inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset.

20. The trailer of claim 18 , wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has a leg extending laterally inward from the inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset to an inwardly-spaced connection point at which the lateral reinforcement member is secured to the rear bolster.

Assignees

• Sti Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Miller Daniel Patrick
• Smidler Francis Steven

Classifications

• B62D25/08

  Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)} · CPC title

• B60R19/56 Primary

  {Fittings damping bouncing force in truck collisions, e.g. bumpers;} Arrangements on high-riding vehicles, e.g. lorries, for preventing vehicles or objects from running thereunder · CPC title

• B62D53/06

  Semi-trailers · CPC title

• B62D33/04

  Enclosed load compartments {; Frameworks for movable panels, tarpaulins or side curtains (side curtains per se B60J5/065; tarpaulins per se B60J7/00, B60P7/04)} · CPC title

• B60R19/24 Primary

  Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles · CPC title